Crusaders moved up to second place, level on points with leaders Glentoran, with a comfortable 3-0 home win over Ballymena United.
Coleraine also moved up a position in the Irish Premiership table as a 2-0 win over Newry City took Oran Kearney’s men into third.
In the basement battle between two sides that were seeking their first points of the campaign, Dungannon Swifts beat Portadown 2-0 at Stangmore Park with Rhyss Campbell scoring after just 21 seconds.
Friday night’s fourth top-flight fixture was the East Antrim derby, with visitors Larne beating Carrick Rangers 1-0.
Tiernan Lynch’s side remain fifth in the table, level on 16 points with Cliftonville who were overtaken by the Crues and the Bannsiders on a weekend when they are not playing in the league.
Crues control for hosts at Seaview
Crusaders were in control throughout against Ballymena and were more than worthy of their three-goal winning margin.
Stephen Baxter’s men opened the scoring on 29 minutes when Adam Lecky laid the ball off for Philip Lowry’s close-range strike to give the midfielder his fifth of the campaign so far.
The home side didn’t have to wait long for their second as a great nod on by man-of-the-match Lecky found Jarlath O’Rourke, whose powerful left-foot strike doubled the lead.
The third came 82 minutes in after Ross Clarke’s corner found Jordan Forsythe, with his header from six yards out proving too strong for Sean O’Neill.
It could – and should – have been more as the hosts created chance after chance, only to be denied by poor finishing, the woodwork and some fine goalkeeping from O’Neill.
Second-half goals secure win for Coleraine
After a scoreless opening 45 minutes at the Coleraine Showgrounds, the home side struck twice in four second-half minutes to kill the game as a contest and consign their opponents to a fifth league defeat of the campaign.
The opening goal arrived in the 54th minute and was a first for midfielder Lee Lynch since his summer arrival from Larne.
Breaking the Newry City offside trap by running from deep, Lynch controlled a fine Josh Carson pass before firing left-footed high into the net past a stranded Newry City keeper Steven Maguire.
His former Larne team-mate Dean Jarvis then got in on the act, scoring his first goal since moving from Inver Park just four minutes later.
The left-back was in the right place at the right time to bundle the ball over the line from close range to give the home side some breathing space.
And they needed it, too, with Newry City, especially in the opening 45 minutes, proving dangerous on the break.
Lorcan Forde and James Teelan went close for the Championship winners in the first half but they had no answer to Coleraine after the break, with Oran Kearney’s men running out deserved winners on the night.
Larne maintain good form with derby victory
Larne kept their good form going with a well-earned 1-0 win over Carrick Rangers at Taylors Avenue.
It was midfielder Shea Gordon who broke the deadlock in the 79th minute, firing hard and low past Ross Glendinning from a Mark Randall corner.
The win puts Larne, who recorded their fourth clean sheet of the season, two points behind league leaders Glentoran and second-placed Crusaders.
Carrick produced their best chance midway through the first half when Emmett McGuckin headed just wide at the back post from a David Cushley free-kick.
Larne finished the half strongly and on the 44th minute Mark Randall could only fire wide of the left post after nice build-up play down the right wing from Tomas Cosgrove.
Larne continued as they finished the first half and another chance fell for Randall on 54 minutes but his effort was bravely blocked.
Ports still pointless after losing to Swifts
Goals at the start of each half secured a precious three points for Dungannon Swifts in the bottom-of-the-table clash at Stangmore Park.
Campbell fired in after just 21 seconds and Ryan Mayse netted a penalty two minutes into the second half to leave Portadown pointless seven matches into the campaign.
The Swifts made the perfect start, taking the lead when Campbell finished from 10 yards out, and they added a second when Michael Ruddy was bundled over inside the penalty area, and Mayse rifled his spot kick in off the post.
Dungannon keeper Declan Dunne made two good saves in the first half to deny Jason Akiotu and Jordan Jenkins, but the Swifts took control of the game in the second half and, apart from a late header from Patrick McNally that crashed off the crossbar, it was a surprisingly comfortable night for Dean Shiels’ men.
The win gives the Swifts their first league points of the season, and leaves Portadown rooted to the foot of the table.
